The Grateful Dead are undergoing some sort of a Renaissance. While Gathering of the Vibes keeps the remaining OGs of the cult following on life support, pills more enterprising souls have rebranded the term “Dead Head” for more a modernized, capsule grassroots level of fandom. I witnessed this firsthand in the basement of Life Alive, help the vegan restaurant in Central Square. Hipsters of all shapes, sizes, and jean tightness sipped organic ciders and sat on anything that would hold their weight to watch Norton’s Dead Set, a bluegrass outfit, meander through the bowels of the Grateful Dead’s repertoire.
Dead cover bands are, admittedly, a dime a dozen. But make no mistake about it, these guys are not your grandma’s worthless potheads, the ones that buy a guitar and some bongos, learn “Box of Rain”, and call it a day. Instead, this group of skilled, but more importantly, extremely well-rehearsed musicians picked songs that allowed their setup to explore the foundation of The Grateful Dead’s music. Ignore the acid, pot, cocaine, and whiskey use that sparked the Infrared Roses calamity, and The Dead was really a folk group. Add a banjo, lap guitar, and stand up bass as Norton’s has, and bluegrass style becomes a logical and effective conduit for the original music.
The set list had something for everyone. Whether it was “Scarlet Begonias” for the newbie/Sublime fan or “Dark Hollow” for the seasoned veterans, the band stuck mostly to early Dead tunes. They were relaxed, not trying to imitate neither interpret creatively, and the sound seemed completely organic. Without a drummer, the band relied on well-arranged vocal harmonies and an excellent balance of levels to provide a deep sound. Each song featured a solo from a different band member, and a guest violin player stole the show during “Deal” to the audience’s delight.
The only complaint to be noted was that the stand-up bass was lost in most of the songs. In fact, most notes on above or below baritone/low tenor were pretty much washed out. Give these guys a better sound system and a more acoustic-friendly room, and this would be a moot point. It seemed like the rest of the audience was onboard as well. I was especially surprised to see some punkers sing along to “Dire Wolf.” So for two short hours, people of undoubtedly contrasting music backgrounds revelled in this repackaged Dead cover band, blown away by its mastery of antiquated material.
There were banjos, beer, and “Bertha,” so no one should be complaining. But in all seriousness, this show was great. I usually get reintroduced to The Grateful Dead for about a week each year. I spend that week recalling my misspent high school days, before I get bored of getting lulled to sleep by “Brokedown Palace.” Instead, Norton’s Dead Set reintroduced me to the music, the diversity of young Dead fans, as well as the possibilities for modern applications of the music. Not everyone dying to see a Dead cover band is old enough to lie about going to Woodstock, nor are the people trying to be in that band. Keep an eye out for Norton’s Dead Set, and any other Dead cover bands with a mean age under 30. I think it’s an exciting time to check out what people are doing with the music these days.